


Watching It Burn

by orphan_account



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Emotionally Repressed, F/M, Graves PTSD, Graves doesn't know how to express his emotions ok, Impersonation, Kidnapping, Slow Burn, Spoilers!!, i'm so bad at tags sorry, leave him alone he's my son, seriously if you haven't seen fantastic beasts don't read this lmao, slightly AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-21
Updated: 2016-12-04
Packaged: 2018-09-01 06:05:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 18,294
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8612125
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: she was firehe was smokeand it all came burning down





	1. Bleed and Fight For You

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so like I said in the summary, I'm writing this because I NEED more Graves/Tina and there is a disappointing amount on here. I just thought the chemistry between them in the movie was absolutely undeniable, so here I am writing this mess. It's going to take place before (like way before), during, and after the events of FBAWTFT.

The first time Tina’s life was ruined was by a boy named Percival Graves. He was a small, slight boy, with dark features that contrasted with his fair skin. He was so short and skinny that she constantly had to remind herself that he was a second year like her.

 

“I heard you talking to your sister, and she didn’t call you Tina.” He pestered her one day as they walked from their Magical History class to the Wampus common room to get ready for dinner. Tina had just finished talking to Queenie, who departed for the Horned Snake dorms. She wished she could join her blonde sister and hide from him.

 

“Of course she called me Tina. That’s my name.” She snapped back at him. He scowled in response, and she could tell Percival wasn’t going to give up that easily.

 

“No, she said something else. It sounded like Porpentina. What kind of a name is that?” His voice sounded especially smarmy today, even though the small rational part in the back of her mind tried to assure her he meant no harm. She started to hear the whispers of the other kids around them, giggling and snickering and repeating her name amongst themselves. She hated her name.

 

“I don’t know. I didn’t choose it.” Her patience was drawing ever thinner. Tina wouldn’t say that she and the Graves boy were friends, but they were definitely more than acquaintances. Rivals was probably the better word to describe their relationship. They were always competing with each other, even the most basic things. Percival absolutely abhorred losing, and Tina hated to see the smug look on his face whenever he won. The smallest task was turned into a contest. Who could get the highest grades (usually Percival - Tina just couldn’t stand sitting still so long to study), who was able to learn a spell the fastest (usually Tina, even though Percival performed them better once he eventually learned them) and even who could make it back to the common room fastest after dinner.

 

“Why don’t you just ask your parents why they named you such a weird name?” He asked. Tina stopped in her tracks, causing the trailing Percival to bump into her. The question was innocent - it had to be, he didn’t know about her parents, nobody knew about her parents - but it still cut like a knife. She quickly turned on her heel and slapped the smaller boy in the face with all the force an angry twelve year old could muster. His lip split, trailing blood down his chin, and he looked up at her with a mix of confusion and hurt.

 

“Why do you have to ask so many stupid questions, Percy?” She snarled at the boy.

 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to -”

 

“Forget it.” She spat at him. With that she turned around just as quickly as before and started down the hall as quickly as she could without running, because she would be damned before she let stupid old Percival Graves see her cry. She was a Wampus, a warrior. Warriors didn’t cry, and certainly not over annoying little boys who asked too many questions.

 

That didn’t stop her from locking herself in her room for the rest of the day with a picture of her parents and sister sitting on her lap.

 

~~~

 

Sometimes Percival really didn’t understand the Goldstein girl. One minute they were racing back to the common room like always, and the next minute she was slapping him in the face and running away. He even swore he saw the faintest trail of a tear running down her cheek, but that couldn’t have been right. Tina would absolutely, under any circumstance, never cry.

 

“What was that about, Percy?” The other boy next to him asked. Abraham, another Wampus boy. He was a year older than himself, but they were still friends.

 

“I don’t know.” Percival admitted. “And don’t call me Percy. That’s not my name.” He added harshly.

 

“Of course not, Percy boy.” Abraham smiled wolfishly at him before thumping him on the back and walking ahead before Percy could hit him back. All he could do was scowl and think about how he could wreak his revenge on the older boy the next day. And maybe even apologize to Tina. But not because he felt sorry, or anything like that. It’s just, you know, she was a girl and girls expected stuff like that. Not like Percival had much experience with girls, but that was what his uncle told him.

 

Except Tina didn’t go to classes the next day. When he confronted Queenie about it she just shrugged and said she must be sick. But then she gave him that look - the weird one where it was like she was looking at him but not really at him - and then just shook her head and walked away.  
His day was oddly strange without the girl. Not like he missed her or anything. No, that was just ridiculous. It was just it was kind of boring without somebody to compete. None of the other kids in their year could compete with him and even hope to win; not like Tina could. Even though he didn’t like to admit it, she gave him a run for his money. The only thing he was better at without a doubt was Quidditch. He had made the team as a chaser this year, and Tina was cut after the last round of tryouts. She swore and wouldn’t talk to him for a whole week after, but cheered up when the Captain, a tall redheaded girl, assured her she would definitely make it next year.

 

Then he saw her the next day, but she might as well not have been there. She didn’t even glance in his direction, and so even though he was still confused he returned the silent treatment. If she wasn’t going to explain why she was upset, he wasn’t going to ask and that was that. Or at least it was until two weeks later.

 

Percival was returning from a particularly long session of Quidditch. Their first game was the coming weekend, and for some reason he couldn’t wrap his head around it had snowed. In the middle of October. Melting crystals nestled in his dark hair and speckled the end of his broomstick, and chills racked his body. Not like he wasn’t used to the cold, coming from New York, but still. Usually they had a bit of time to adjust to the cold weather.

 

“Oh, look at that! Little Percy Graves coming back from Quidditch practice. That’s a mighty nice broom you got there, kid. How many times did you get knocked off?” A sneering voice sounded behind him, accompanied by equally unpleasant sounding laughter. Strong hands shoved him from behind, and he would’ve fallen if he broomstick hadn’t caught on the floor, stabling his balance.

 

“I didn’t get knocked off at all.” He muttered to the group of boys in front of him. They had tried out for the Quidditch team as well, and none of them made it. Being fifth years, they were rather upset that a second year - and a puny one at that - made the team over them. The tallest boy, Bryson, was clearly the angriest. Percival didn’t like how the boys in front of him looked at him. They looked more than angry, they looked...dangerous. And no matter how good Percival was at magic, he knew that there was no way he could talk on 4 angry sixth years by himself. They took out their wands and instinctively reached for his pockets for his own, before realizing he left it in the dorm. Oh boy, he sighed inwardly.

 

“Expulso!” Bryson cried out. Percival’s blood ran cold - they actually meant to hurt him? Curses were completely forbidden in Ilvermorny, unless they were performed in a classroom under a teacher’s supervision. You weren’t even supposed to learn them until sixth year.

 

Everything in front of Percival slowed down. The icy blue light projecting from Bryson’s wand slowed down, and his vision was focused solely on that. Instinctively he raised the hand that wasn’t holding his broomstick in front of his face, and muttered “Protego” under his breath. To his surprise, a thin, translucent shield formed in front of him and two things happened. First, everything sped up and the curse hit his shield, causing it to disintegrate. Second, he heard a shrill, high pitched voice scream “HEY!” before a variety of different colored spells and jinxes launched themselves at the group in front of him. He looked behind him, and saw none other than Tina Goldstein, her smoking wand pointing at the direction the older boys had been in before they ran.

 

“Did you just cast that spell without your wand?” Tina asked. Her face was completely dumbfounded.

 

Percival just looked down at his hand. “Um...yeah. I guess I did.” His hand didn’t look any different. Everybody knew that only extremely powerful wizards could perform spells without wands, and the skill certainly surpassed the abilities of a second year student. He looked back up, saw Tina with a smug look on her face. He scowled. “I didn’t need your help. I could’ve scared them off on my own.”

 

Tina’s face went from smug to confused to angry. “Well than I guess the next time you need help I’ll just leave you by yourself then!” She shouted.

 

“Good. I don’t want your help.” Percival snapped back. Tina shot him the most disgusted look he had even seen before angrily turning on her heel and storming down the hall. Percival pulled himself up with a huff.

 

He really, really didn’t understand that girl.


	2. A Million Things I Haven't Done

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tina and Percival have a tender moment. Or two.

The second time Tina’s life was ruined was in her sixth year by a different boy. His name was Colin Fragil, and he had been her boyfriend since fourth year. He was perfect in every way Tina could think of, with silky blonde hair and stunning green eyes. He was captain of the Thunderbird Quidditch team. He was almost (but not quite) as smart as she was, and didn’t even mind that he sometimes needed her help with homework and studying. He was like Prince Charming from those old No-Maj fairytales.

 

That all changed the week before the Sixth Year Formal. All the sixth years had been waiting for ages to finally be able to go, and it was all the students could think about. The dance was held on Halloween night, and there was dancing and food and decorations. It was a teenage girl’s dream. It was Tina’s dream. Or at least it was until Colin caused it all to crash and burn.

 

It was a lazy Saturday afternoon, and she was studying with Colin in the library. He had an upcoming Magical History test that he absolutely had to pass, or the school would send a letter home. Tina was doing everything she could think of to help her boyfriend remember the dates and names, but nothing seemed to work. Finally he had enough.

 

“How about we take a breather?” He sighed, slamming his book shut. Tina smiled reassuringly at him.

 

“You shouldn’t get so stressed over it. I’m sure you’ll do fine. You always do.”

 

Colin grimaced. “I’d really rather not talk about it anymore.”

 

Tina laughed gently. “Okay. I’ve been meaning to ask you what are plans were for next Saturday, anyway.”

 

He gave her a strange look. “What’s going on next Saturday?” His perfect lips were raised in a pout that Tina had once thought was endearing. Now it was merely annoying.

 

Tina laughed again. “You’re kidding, right?” The blank expression on his face didn’t change. She pursed her lips. “It’s the night of the Formal. Which you know, I figured we were going to together seeing how we’re dating?”

 

The look Colin gave her filled her with dread. It was almost...pitying. “Listen, Tina, about that...about us…”

 

Tina didn’t let him finish. She knew exactly what he was going to say. “Oh, so you’re just going to break up with me after nearly two years? And right before the biggest event in the whole school? The one I’ve been looking forward to since summer started?” She snapped.

 

Colin looked guilty and shrugged his shoulders. “I just...this isn’t working out for me anymore, Tina. I need something new. I was gonna wait til a little after the dance to seal the deal, but you kind of brought it up just now, so I figured…” He didn’t look up from his closed book.

 

Tina glared at him venomously, ears watery and mouth trembling. “Need something new? What, you’ve gotten tired of me?” Her voice got increasingly louder and higher-pitched. The other students in the library began looking their way in annoyance.

 

“Well I mean, when you put it that way it sounds kind of harsh.” He pouted. Colin just seemed so nonchalant about the whole thing. Like they hadn’t been dating for two years. Like he hadn’t told Tina he loved her. Like Tina hadn’t fallen in love with him.

 

“That’s because it is harsh, Colin.” She finally managed to choke out. In a fit of anger she swept his books off the table onto the floor. She could hear the tearing of the pages and the crack of the spines as they hit the floor. “I hope you find someone that excites you.” She added coldly, gathering her things and storming out of the library. For the second time in her life a boy made her storm away with tears in her eyes.

 

She didn’t go to the common room. That would be way too crowded, and her roommates would no doubt still be in their dorm, sleeping or doing homework. Instead she went to the one place she knew nobody would ever go.

 

Ilvermorny was built practically on the precipice of a huge cliff, and although this caused quite a slew of structural problems, it also provided absolutely breathtaking views. Tina’s favorite was one on the farthest outreach of rock. A lone tree stood near the edge of the cliff, defying all odds and surviving against the inhospitable cliff face. Whenever Tina was upset or needed some peace she would sit underneath the tree and stare out beyond the mountains, taking in the trees and the birds and how crisp the air tasted. It was the only place she could really be alone when she needed it.

 

Which was why she became just a little pissed off when somebody sat next to her. At first she thought it was Colin, and was about to give him another piece of her mind before she noticed her intruder’s much darker hair.

 

“You seem a little upset.” Percival spoke softly, voice low and deep, gracefully lowering himself to the ground. Tina was shocked. Of course she still saw Percival all the time, but they hadn’t really spoken to each other much since the incident in second year. It seemed so long ago, now. He wasn’t a boy anymore, but he wasn’t quite a man yet either. He had grown about a foot, easily, and loomed over Tina even as they were both sitting. Thankfully his shoulders hadn’t broadened out yet, so he looked more lanky than intimidating. His features were square and strong, with a straight nose and thick eyebrows. His hair was even darker than his eyes, and fell to the left side of his face. He was still pale, but his complexion was glowing as opposed to the sickly pallor he had in childhood.

 

Tina laughed harshly, wiping the tears from her face. Percival was exactly the last person she wanted to see her like this. “What makes you think that?”

 

“Well, maybe it was how you screamed at Colin Fragil before throwing all of his books to the floor. Or maybe it was the storming out of the library in tears? I’m not sure, it was definitely one of those.”

 

Despite how miserable she felt, Tina managed a laugh. Percival wasn’t much of a joker, and a small part of her mind was grateful that he was trying to make her feel better.

 

“Yeah, I’d say it was one of those too.” Tina smiled sadly. They sat in silence for a moment. It wasn’t an awkward silence, but it was filled with tension. She realized that the small size of the rock outcropping forced Percival to sit very close to her and that their legs were nearly touching.

 

“How come you’re crying? I’ve never seen you cry over anything before.” Everything Percival said was in the same soft, low tone. It was incredibly soothing, and Tina felt her breathing calm and her heartbeat slow. Of course he was lying, though. He had seen her cry once in their second year. It had been his fault.

 

“I really don’t know. It’s kind of stupid.” Tina laughed harshly again, choking down another sob.

 

“I don’t think it’s stupid if it was enough to make you cry.”

 

Tina looked up at Percival and found his eyes staring into her own. His eyes were dark, but they looked soft in a way that made Tina realize he might actually care why she was upset.

 

“I was just so excited for the formal.” Tina shook her head. “I thought it was going to be so much fun. Colin would take me, we’d have a great time, dance with our friends...we would have been so happy.” Tears threatened to spill out of her eyes again. “I guess that’s not going to happen, though. He’s not going and now we’re not even dating anymore. I bought a dress over the summer and everything for it.”

 

Percival didn’t say anything, but the soft look her gave her and the flash of anger in his eyes at the mention of Colin’s name told her everything she needed to know. Then, in a moment of tenderness she hadn’t thought the boy was capable of, he wrapped his long arm around her shoulder and tugged her closer. After a moment she carefully laid her head down on his shoulder and tried not to mess up his coat with her tears.

 

“It’s okay.” He sighed as she cried against him. “You can still go to the formal. Don’t think that he can stop you from having a good time. Your friends will still be there. There will still be food and drinks and you can still dance. There’s nothing keeping you from having fun.”

 

Tina looked up at him and saw a foreign tenderness in his eyes. She felt something stirring in her gut, something she had really only felt for Colin. Tina had never seen Percival look at anyone like he was looking at her now.

 

 _“Ask me to go to the formal with you,”_ She pleaded in her head. _“Say that you’ll go and make me feel a thousand times happier than Colin ever could.”_

 

But he didn’t ask her anything else, or even speak again, so she just lay there in his arms, pressed up against his shoulder. The few times she looked up at him after that he looked conflicted, and several times it seemed like he was about to say something but he would just sigh and look back ahead instead, dark eyes brooding and sad. At some point she must’ve fallen asleep in his embrace, because when she awoke she was back in her bed in the dorms. Clutched in her hand was a piece of paper, written in what must have been Percival’s characteristically messy handwriting.

 

“Sleep well,” it read.

 

~~~

 

When the night of the formal came, Tina was almost fully back to her usual self. She still wasn’t quite over her breakup with Colin, but words of encouragement from her friends (and a certain dark-eyed boy) made her ready and even excited for the dance again. She wore a deep forest green dress that fit snugly over her chest before flaring out at her waist and falling elegantly to the floor. Her dark hair had been carefully braided, and then twisted into a knot at the nape of her neck. Her friends had spent nearly an hour arranging flowers amongst the twirls of her hair, the colors ranging from soft yellow to vivid red to baby blue. Nancy, the most artistic out of all of them, painted her lips a shimmering pale pink and added just a hint of dark shadow to her eyes. She told Tina that she looked like a forest nymph. Tina just blushed and looked down to the floor, feeling prettier than she’d ever felt in her entire life.

 

The Dining Hall had been decorated wonderfully. The theme wasn’t Halloween, but rather autumn in general. The floor had been transformed, with stone walkways and a clearing for the dance floor. Tall redwood trees seemed to stretch infinitely into the sky, providing them with a natural ceiling of fiery leaves. The whole room was illuminated with what must have been a million fireflies, floating lazily all around the Hall. The entire room had a perfume of cinnamon and nutmeg and burning leaves. A clearing of tables made to look like tree stumps sat in front of the entrance, and a huge canopy of low hanging branches covered the dance floor behind them.

 

It was everything Tina had dreamed of and more. The whole night was spent dancing and laughing with her friends, enjoying the music and the food and the magical atmosphere of the room. It wasn’t until one of the very last songs that she noticed Percival at another table with his friends. He was laughing along with them, but he didn’t seem as engaged in the conversation as the others did. Finally the last song of the night was announced and started playing. Tina knew this song. It was long, and the melody was soft and whispery. The perfect song to end her perfect night with.

 

“Tina, I think somebody’s coming over to talk to you.” Nancy whispered in her ear. She looked behind her, and to her surprise saw Percival. He was handsomely dressed, with a black tuxedo and white waistcoat underneath. His hair was even combed back so it didn’t fall in his face. To Tina’s surprise, his bowtie was nearly the exact shade of forest green as her dress.

 

“I was hoping I could have this dance?” He asked with a charming smile. His voice was confident, but Tina could see the anxiety hiding in his face. She flashed him a smile of her own.

 

“Of course.” She held out her and and stood up, ignoring the excited whispers and squeals of her friends. Percival took it and weaved through the tables, leading her to the dance floor. They finally reached the hooded dance floor, and the music was louder here than at her table. He held up the hand hold hers and place the other on her hip. She gently laid her own free hand around his shoulder, and they began flowing to the rhythm of the soft music.

 

“I never knew you could dance.” She laughed softly.

 

There was a ghost of a smile on Percival’s lips. “I’m quite a fan of dancing, actually. I just rarely do it myself. More of a watcher, I’m afraid.”

 

“One wouldn’t be able to tell.” Tina teased. This time Percival did smile. They stayed like that for a while, immersed in the moment, doing nothing but moving to the song and smiling. Then the song ended and the dance floor emptied as people began to leave.

 

“I should be going.” Tina sighed, looking up at Percival. He really had grown tall. Taller than Colin, even.

 

Percival nodded. “This was...nice, Tina.”

 

She smiled up at him again. “I had a good time, Percival.” Their faces were close, separated by only a few short inches of space. Practically nothing was keeping them apart. She could even feel his warm breath dance across her lips. It smelled like cinnamon and nutmeg and mulled cider.

 

“ _Kiss me.”_ She thought to herself. _“Stop being afraid and kiss me already!”_

 

But instead Percival’s dark eyes darted suddenly away from her own and he was letting her go. “Goodnight, Tina.” He finally said. And just like that he was gone, lost in the sea of people leaving the dance floor and leaving her standing alone. Tina smiled sadly to herself. The night had almost been perfect.


	3. Got a Lot Farther

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh dear. Our poor Percival just can't have a break, can he?

One’s seventh and final year at Ilvermorny was always as exciting as it was scary. The young men and women that had come of age in the school were all grown up, and were ready to take on the world all own their own. But before they were able to leave the school behind, they still had to survive that final year. For some it was too much, and they dropped out once they turned 17 to venture around the world or open their own shop or whatever else they set their mind to. Percival was not one of those people.

 

Sure, he might have bitten off more than he could chew this year, but it was nothing he could handle. There was only being the Wampus Quidditch team captain, and being Headboy, and struggling to maintain his position as top of the class (those damned Horned Snakes were always trying to one-up him) and studying for his final exams. But really, it was nothing. It didn’t matter that if they didn’t win the Quidditch championship it’d be the first time Wampus lost in nearly two decades, or if he didn’t keep his class rank he’d be the first Graves child to fail to do so, or if he failed his final exams he’d never be an Auror. So what if he only got about two hours of sleep a night? Honestly, you really didn’t need that much sleep.

 

So, as one could guess, it was his busy schedule that damned him in the end. The Quidditch final was a mere two weeks before exams, and it was without a doubt the biggest event of the entire year. The whole school must’ve been there; Percival had never seen the stands so filled. Some students had even enchanted some benches to float behind the stands due to the lack of seats. Percival looked out the window and allowed himself a small smile as he squeezed into his Quidditch robes. His shoulders had finally started to fill out to match his height, and his parents were frustrated with the amount of new clothes they had to buy over the spring break. He was absolutely exhausted. Between early morning practices and studying for his exams (not to mention trying to score an internship with MACUSA) he had only gotten about eleven total hours of sleep in two weeks. Several of his teachers expressed concern, but he just shrugged them off. How many times did he have to tell them that he was fine?

 

“Today’s the day, Graves.” A voice behind him laughed, spooking him from his train of thought, and a small hand clasped him on the shoulder. He turned around and saw their Seeker, a small fifth year girl with a short yellow bob cut.

 

“Thanks for a reminder, Stell.” He grimaced, but the girl could tell he was kidding.

 

“Just a reminder that the Thunderbirds are technically undefeated. No pressure or anything.”

 

Now Graves’ scowl was serious. “We’re undefeated too, Stell. We tied them, and would’ve won if their Seeker hadn’t knocked you off your broom to get the Stitch.”

 

“Believe me, I’m the last person that needs to be reminded of that.” She placed her hand gently on his shoulder again and smiled brightly up at him. “C’mon. The team’s ready to head out. The game is about to start.” Graves nodded, and the two of them walked back into the locker room. Everybody had finished getting ready, crimson robes shimmering delicately underneath the light of the locker room. Looking around, he took in the sight of his teammates. Stell, one of the fastest fliers he’d ever seen. Aidan and Lex, his fellow Chasers and practically an extension of his mind. Aubrey and Samuel, the strongest beaters in the whole school. Their Keeper, Niall, who had the best track record in school. He allowed a brief moment of pride fill his chest before getting his head back into the game.

 

“There’s nothing much I can really say.” Graves shrugged his shoulder. “We all know what’s at stake here. It’s not just your reputation on the line. It’s not even just mine on the line. Our whole houses’ image is going to be defined by today. I’m sick of everybody talking about how this is the year Wampus finally falls, about how Colin Fragil is finally going to lead the Thunderbirds into victory.” Anger flashed across Graves’ face at the mention of the other boy. “You’re too good of a team to be talked about like that. They should be talking about how this is the best group of players I’ve ever played with in all of my seven years, and how we can easily keep the trophy in the Wampus common room. That’s all I’ve been talking about since we found out we were going to be playing them. So don’t make me look like an idiot. We’re going to go out there, we’re going to play better, and we’re going to win.”

 

Whoops and cheers followed him out of the locker room as he lead his team onto the field. He allowed himself a small smile, one last moment to himself before it was time to really get serious. Exhaustion burned ached through his bones, and made it increasingly difficult to keep his eyes open. Before he knew it the whistle signaling the start of the game was ringing in his ear, and he almost nearly lost the initial ball toss. Almost. Even in his exhausted state he could fly circles around Colin Fragil. With the help of Lex, he scored the first goal in the first thirty seconds. Their lead was early, and things were looking promising. Until they weren’t.

 

Despite playing one of the best matches of his life, the Thunderbirds still managed to rack in points. The score become 10 to 40. 80 to 120. 110 to 360. Percival began to lose all hope until he saw Stell shoot him a small smile. He couldn’t see the stitch himself, but knew that Stell was right on it’s tail. They still had time; he currently had the ball and the Thunderbird keeper was nearly 50 yards away at the other end of the field, flying around with his eyebrows furrowed. Graves shot her a look. “Don’t catch that damned thing until we get one more goal.” Stell nodded in understanding.

 

With Lex to his right and Aidan below him, Graves zoomed forward as fast as his broomstick allowed. They were 50 feet from the hoops. 40 feet. 20 feet. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Aidan duck lower and Lex quickly swing up. Both of the Thunderbird beaters were swinging the bludgers with as much force as they could muster, and Colin and the other chasers were circling below him like a pack of sharks. He saw one of the beaters aim a bludger his way. If he kept flying he was going to get hit square in the chest, and most likely fall off of his broom. He was 50 feet off of the ground, ten feet away from the goal, and the keeper didn’t even notice how open his left side was.

 

“Choose, Percy boy.” He thought to himself. “Save yourself and risk losing the match, or get this goal.”

 

It wasn’t an option, really. Three things happened nearly simultaneously. Firstly, he threw the quaffle as hard as he could straight through the middle of the lowest pitch. Secondly, he heard another shrill whistle and saw Stell grasp the golden snitch in her hands. After that all he felt was a shooting pain in his left shoulder, like getting hit by a train, and his vision went black as his body was knocked off the broomstick.

 

~~~

 

Percival was in the hospital wing the rest of the weekend. Although he was unconscious most of the time, there were very brief periods where he could vaguely tell what was going on around him. Once he saw a group of at least 5 sweaty people wearing crimson red, yelling something incoherent about how they won and how much of an idiot he was. The rest of the times were only to one person, a small girl with short blonde hair. He must’ve been hit even harder than he originally thought, because once when he woke up he swore that the girl in front of him had short brown hair instead of blonde.

 

~~~

 

“You need to stop worrying, Percival. I’m sure you did absolutely fine. Fantastic, even.”

 

Percival shot a dirty look towards his friend. “Shut up, Irving.” He growled. Even now, three days after their last exam and only two before graduation, the dark haired boy was scouring through his notes and books, searching desperately for any answers he may have gotten incorrect. This proved increasingly hard to do with only one arm to work with. His left arm had been absolutely shattered after the Bludger incident, and he wouldn’t regain full use for another month. The school nurse said it was likely to bother him for the rest of his life.

 

“Graves! Seriously man, you have to calm down. Even with a concussion you can make it top of class no problem.” Irving’s intentions were good. All he wanted to do was comfort Percival in a time of great stress, but Percival didn’t want comfort. He wanted an answer. He needed to know if he upheld the family legacy or not.

 

“I don’t know, Irv.” Their other friend Lyle sat in between them. Percival tensed; he didn’t like Lyle very much. There was something in the other boy’s eyes and the way he smiled that set him on edge. “I think that Goldstein girl might be able to give ole Percy here a run for his money.” He snickered.

 

“Shut up, Lyle.” Percival sighed. After dealing with him for seven whole years, he was more annoyed than angry at the other boy at this point. He just couldn’t wait to be rid of him.

 

“I’m just saying. It’s a definite possibility. And who knows? Why would MAGUSA want an auror that didn’t even do well on his exams?” Lyle shot Percival a wolfish grin. Percival returned it with a glare of his own.

 

“Guys! Guys! Exam results are out!” A short boy ran into the common room, waving around a thick stack of papers. Lyle and Irving took a bit of time to react, but Percival was up and out of the common room before anybody had a chance to blink. He stood up so quickly that the chair went flying to the floor feet from where it had been standing before. The corridors of Ilvermorny had never seemed longer to him. When he finally reached his home room, it felt like his heart was going to beat out of his chest. He saw his homeroom teacher handing out the results individually, but honestly just couldn’t wait that wrong. Before poor Professor Watts knew what was happening Percival’s folder was flying out of his stack and into the hands of the anxious boy.

 

“Percival my boy! We’ve been working on that wandless magic, I see? You know, I really do think you should travel to Africa, it’s amazing what they can do over there without wands and I think you’d really…”

 

Normally Prof. Watts was one of his favorite people in the whole school, but Percival just didn’t have time for the old man’s ramblings at the moment. He was nervous the moment the folder landed in his hand. It was so much thinner than the others. That couldn’t have been a good omen. His hands shook as he carefully tore open the heavy parchment. When he saw what was inside, he had to summon a chair to keep from falling over. His folder was thin because it didn’t contain his exam results.

 

It was a letter from the President of the Magical Congress of The United States of America herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, this chapter is v short, but I wanted to squeeze in a couple more Schoolboy Percy moments before he grows up into Super Badass Junior Auror Training Officer Graves. We'll start getting into some juicy MACUSA/Goldgraves drama soon, and Percival will hate every minute of it. But for now let's just enjoy smol schoolboy Percival, yeah?


	4. Wait For It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just when Percival thought things were going uphill...

The headquarters of the Magical Congress of The United States of America were everything Percival imagined they would be. The only place he had ever seen so much magic concentrated into one place was at school, and even then it was limited to classrooms for the most part.

 

Stepping foot in his workplace for the first time was without a doubt the best day of Percival’s seventeen years of life. He couldn’t believe that he was there, and not just as a visitor, but as an employee. His meeting with the Director of Magical Security was in thirty minutes, and if he timed himself just right he should arrive exactly fifteen minutes early just like he hoped. 

 

Unfortunately, to Percival’s dismay, the time had to be cut to ten minutes early instead. Finding the office turned out to be no problem (it was on the topmost floor of the huge building, very close to the President’s office) but navigating around people turned to be a different matter entirely. Well climbing up the stairs to the top floor a flustered looking young witch pushing a cart stacked at least ten feet tall with various objects nearly dropped them all. It was only Percival’s quick reflexes that saved them (and most likely the poor girl’s job).

 

The girl looked horrified as the boxes and trinkets fell towards Percival’s head. “Watch out!” She shrieked. Her yell died down as soon as saw the young wizard raise his hand and stop the boxes mid air.

 

“Let me help you with that.” Percival chuckled. With an almost lazy wave, the boxes stacked neatly on top of each other again. The girl looked speechless.

 

“How did you do that?” She gasped. Percival only shrugged and offered a small smile.

 

“Just takes a little bit of work, is all.” He explained. Or a lot of work, if he was being truthful. He still remembers the nights at school where he would refuse to go to bed until he mastered whatever spell he had chosen without using his wand. The hardest, ironically, turned out to be the one he figured out first. Casting a strong protective spell was difficult even with a wand, and it took him weeks before his wandless effort became more than just a thin layer. Now he was able to protect himself (and even a few others, if he concentrated hard enough) from most spells and curses. 

 

“I’ve never seen somebody so young able to use magic without a wand like that.” The girl was still amazed; Percival was starting to get uncomfortable. 

 

“I guess it’s just a talent.” He smiled at her again before checking the watch on his wrist. He was going to be late to being early if he didn’t hurry up. “I’m afraid I have to leave; I’ll be late for my meeting.” He apologized. With a final nod he began up the stairs again.

 

“Wait!” The girl shouted. Percival slowed down and turned his body around slightly. “What’s your name?” 

 

Okay, now he was really uncomfortable. The girl’s lips were just slightly pursed, cheeks growing redder by the second. She twirled her hair with the hand that wasn’t holding her wand, and her body was leaned just slightly towards him. Percival had been around girls enough to know a crush when he saw one, and cursed quietly under his breath. “Percival Graves.” He returned, and once again started his ascension. He heard the girl gasp at the mention of his last name - God damn Ilvermorny for teaching about his family in Magical History - and mutter something he couldn’t hear before she hustled away. He just shook his head and kept going to his destination.

 

The Director of Magical Security’s office was surprisingly small. It didn’t seem like it could possibly be big enough for one of the most powerful people in the Congress. Not only was Maverick O’Leary the Director, he was also the Head of the Auror Department. Percival changed his mind about the office size when he saw the man stick nearly his entire arm into a small filing cabinet to retrieve a folding. “So, Percival Graves…” the director began. His own looks didn’t really meet Percival’s expectations, either. He was a rather large man, with a balding head that he tried to make up for with an obscenely large walrus mustache. If Percival hadn’t been as serious as he was in that moment, he would have laughed at the thought of the older man as an actual walrus. 

 

“Wampus prefect, Head Boy, Quidditch Captain, top of your class and near perfect scores on your exams…I’m almost impressed.” He grunted. Percival allowed himself a polite smile.

 

“Thank you, sir.”

 

“I said almost, boy.” The man looked up from the folder and stared at Percival with his beady black eyes. “You’re gonna have to do a lot more than write some fancy papers and ride a broomstick to impress me.”

 

Percival didn’t show any emotion. “I can assure you that I’m capable of more than that, sir.” He had to force himself to call the brute in front of him a sir. 

 

“We’ll see in time, boy. You’re fresh out of school. I give your about four to five years before you can even take your Auror qualification exam, three if you really stress yourself.” The man tossed the folder forcefully onto the table in front of him. “But until then you’re just a training officer. An intern. A nothing. So before you go out there with all these thoughts about being a hero and making the world a better place - and I know that’s what you’re thinking, because that’s what all the kids try to do when they come here - let me tell you what I tell all of my employees. Do your job, try to make it out alive, and at the end of the day be grateful for the position you’ve got. Most don’t even make it to being an Auror, and many that do die young. You’ll probably be one of them. Until then you’ll be doing paperwork with that other sorry excuse of  a trainee the President picked from that damned school. Everything you need to know is in that folder. Go do your job. I’ll be watching you, boy, and the second you mess up you can bet I’ll be there to see it.”

 

Percival’s jaw was clenched so tight he was surprised his teeth didn’t crack. “I’ll do my best, sir.” He smiled politely again and stood up to shake the director’s hand. He towered over the older man. The moment he touched O’Leary’s hand, Graves resolved to become Director of Magical Security. 

 

His office was at least still on the same level as the other Auror’s. It was smack in the middle of the hallway, surrounded on all sides by the chaotic clutter known as the Auror department. The lack of organization made Percival’s brow twitch in frustration. He took a deep breath.

 

_“Okay, Graves. This is it. Your new office.”_ He muttered. _“Go in there, do your job, and prove that bastard wrong. You’ve got this.”_ Although the Director was far from what he expected, most of Percival’s other expectations had proved true. This was reassuring, and he took a deep breath as he opened the office door.

 

All of Percival’s expectations were shattered the minute he saw Tina Goldstein sitting in the desk across from his. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, super short chapter. I'm sorry. bUT, on the bright side, I have the rest of the week off for Thanksgiving which means I have five whole days to work on writing stuff! I have a couple of other ideas bouncing around my wee lil head that may get released to the world too (and that's partly why this chapter is so short). But hey, we finally have Badass Junior Auror Training Officer Graves, even if it's just a glimpse.


	5. Just You Wait

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our dear Percival experiences his first taste of justice, and then his first taste of defeat.

n all honesty, Graves thought Auror training was going to be a lot harder than it actually was. It was still one of the most challenging things he had ever attempted in his whole life, but he expected it to be  _ more _ . The other wizards were older than him, and none of them were hand-picked from the school like he and Tina had been. They had to apply for the position and the application process could take years. Many of the older wizards resented both him and Tina for being chosen. They said Percival was only chosen because he was a Graves’, and Tina was only chosen because her parents spent a lot of time with the Congress before their death. It didn’t bother Percival, for the most part. He would prove them all wrong when they graduated from the written training onto the physical. What  _ did  _ bother him was how cruel the others were being to Tina.

 

He got used to sharing an office with her after a while, and learned her habits fairly quickly. Every morning she would walk in (at least an hour after Percival, but that was only because he came to work early) with a coffee in each hand. She would set one down in front of him (“Thank you, Goldstein.”) and proceed to throw herself into her own desk. Tina’s half of the office wasn’t messy, exactly, but her methods of organization differed drastically from Percival’s. She was content to just shove everything in a drawer based on when she received the document and call it a day. More than once she walked into their office only to find Percival attempting to reorganize all of her paperwork. “There’s absolutely  _ no way  _ you can know where everything is.” Her partner insisted, waving his hands around as the papers all floated around in the air. Tina would only chuckle and sit at her desk. 

 

Goldstein absolutely hated paperwork. Percival wasn’t a fan, either, but he tolerated it and tried to make sure he did a good job. Not Tina. The minute she received a paper to fill out she would complete it as soon as possible, not even bothering to proofread her writing. It drove Percival  _ crazy.  _ That’s why he was suspicious when he walked into their office after lunch to see Tina filling out paperwork from a couple days prior.

 

“Didn’t you already fill out the inventory reports for last week, Goldstein?” Graves asked. Tina looked up quickly, quill still scribbling furiously on the paper. Graves glanced at the paper again to make sure he wasn’t mistaken, but it was definitely last week’s inventory. Goldstein’s tidy script was currently outlining an increase in dragon blood wastage. Truthfully, Percival was jealous of Tina’s handwriting. It was round and pretty and  _ legible,  _ whereas his words often looked like they were written by a troll with Dragon Pox. 

 

“Yes, I did. I have to redo it.” She looked back down from the paper. Percival could tell she was upset by something; her eyebrows were furrowed together, her knuckles were a chalky white from clutching the quill and she was writing with so much force she nearly ripped the paper several times.

 

“Why do you have to redo it? Did O’Leary say something?” 

 

“No. It was those  _ stupid  _ boys. Apparently they snuck into our office and shredded the paper before the owls came to collect them so now I have to redo it before O’Leary accuses me of slacking again.” She sounded absolutely livid.

 

Percival was furious, too. “Which ones?” He asked.

 

Goldstein looked up at him. “Leave it be, Graves.” She warned him. His jaw was clenched.

 

“It was Liam and Joseph, wasn’t it?” He asked again. He could tell from the way Tina looked back down at the paper and bit his lip that he was right. Out of all the other junior Aurors, Liam and Joseph were by far the cruelest. They were both 20, only three years older than Tina and Percival, and despised them for getting accepted right out of school. Liam wasn’t very good at being an Auror, and Graves’ doubted he would make it past training. Joseph, on the other hand, was a very talented wizard with a mean smile and cold blue eyes. He had been trying to compete with Percival since day one. He couldn’t stand the older boy.

 

“Please just leave it alone, Graves. I don’t want them to think they got to me.” Tina defended herself. 

 

Graves scoffed. “No, they got to  _ me. _ ” He ran anxiously ran a hand through his fair. It was getting awful long; he would probably get a new haircut soon. “They can’t get away with it, Goldstein. It isn’t  _ fair. _ ” He complained.

 

Tina laughed curtly. “If the world was fair they would never have even gotten accepted in the first place.” She reminded him. “Please just let it go, Graves.” She pleaded. Graves only sat down at his desk and mumbled something incoherent under his breathe that Tina took as a yes.

 

She shouldn’t have.

 

The next day Joseph stormed into their office, looking like he was ready to quite literally explode. He stood in front of their door for a second, glaring daggers at Tina. “I know you did it.” He spat, spittle flying in front of his face.

 

Tina glanced up at him. “Did what?” She asked, returning to the book she was studying. Their final was coming up.

 

He walked forward and slammed his fist on her desk, causing her to jump back and Graves to stand up from his seat. “What do you think you’re doing, Lackar?” He spat at the older wizard.

 

Joseph stepped away and pointed accusingly at Tina. “This  _ hag  _ broke into my office while I was at lunch and jinxed all of my notes for the final! Every last paper! The ink is bleeding together and the words that are still legible move around the paper when I try to read them! I need those notes to pass the final!” By the end of his little tirade he was screaming so loudly Percival’s ears began to ache.

 

“I didn’t sneak into your office.” Tina spat back. “I couldn’t have. I was in a meeting with O’Leary about my observing hours. Go ask him if you don’t believe me.” She glanced over at Graves and saw him smirking devilishly at the older wizard in front of them. 

 

“ _ Well then who did it?”  _ Joseph screeched. She could see Graves trying not to laugh.

 

“Maybe next time you shouldn’t try to sabotage other people’s work for no reason.” He suggested innocently. Joseph turned around and glared at the younger man.

 

“It was  _ you. _ ” He spat venomously. Graves merely shrugged. 

 

“It might’ve been. Whoever did it must’ve done a great job, though.”

 

That set him over the edge. Joseph whipped his wand out and pointed it at Graves, it’s tip glowing red. Percival glanced over at Tina, who had a worried look plastered on her face. He stared at Joseph’s wand and with an almost lazy wave of his hand it was on the other side of the room. Tina picked it up.

 

“Assault of another wizard with provocation?” Graves tusked. “That’s a direct violation of Article Three section eight, Joseph.”

 

The older boy’s face grew redder somehow. “I’d watch your back if I were you, Graves.” Joseph warned. His tone was deadly calm, and without another word he summoned his wand and exited their office.

 

Tina turned furiously towards Percival. “I told you not to get involved!” She scolded him. Percival rubbed the back of his neck.

 

“I didn’t do it all for you. He can’t keep getting away with doing the things he does.” He defended. Tina just shook his head.

 

“What did you even do to his notes, anyway? I’ve never heard of a jinx like that.”

 

“He got it wrong.” Percival pouted. “It wasn’t a jinx, it was a charm. I came up with it while we were doing that spell history research paper about a month ago and I’ve been waiting for something to test it on.”

 

“You came up with that on your own?” Tina asked. She was a bit surprised, to say the least. Coming up with spells isn’t easy, and it usually requires more effort than just working on it during assignment breaks. “You should’ve been a Horned Serpent.” She chuckled, shaking her head.

 

“I was offered. I chose to go into Wampus instead.” 

 

“I never knew you got offered a spot in two houses.” Now Tina was even more surprised. “How come you chose Wampus? Almost everybody with the choice of going into Horned Serpent picks it. I’ve never heard of somebody picking Wampus over it before.”

 

Percival shrugged. “I don’t want to be a scholar. I want to do something with my life. I want something to fight for.” He explained quietly. “I’ve gotta go. Promised my buddy down in Archives I’d help him find a book about the Salem Witch trials.” He left without saying another word.

 

Most people who were in Wampus were born fighters, like herself. After her parents died she had no other choice. She had to support her sister  _ somehow _ , after all. If she had to go back, she would bring her parents back to life a thousand times over. She wouldn’t choose to be a warrior. 

 

Percival wasn’t like that. He was born to a wealthy, well-known family. Magic was like second nature to him, and he was the best in everything he tried. People gravitated towards him. If he had chosen Horned Serpent, life would’ve been so much easier. 

 

Tina thought it was interested that even though everything was set up perfectly for Graves, he chose to tear it all down and fight for himself.

 

~~~

 

Taking their written Auror training exam was even more stressful than school finals had been. A training officer  _ had  _ to pass the written exam in order to move on to the physical and situational training. If you failed, you would have to start the process all over, reapply, and hope they would accept you again.

 

Out of nearly three dozen trainees, only 18 passed the written exam. Thankfully Goldstein and Graves were one of the lucky few who passed. From their current number, only 10 or fewer would graduate and become full time Aurors. 

“Playtime is over, ladies.” Their commanding officer drawled. Harold Pines was a humorless man, who apparently only found joy in pointing out the flaws of his students. They were all lined up and he was pacing in front of them. “This is where things get serious. You’ve written your fancy papers and you’ve read all of the books. Congratulations. But what do you do when you have a Class Three criminal standing in front of you with their wands raised? You’ve all read the books. Now you have to learn how to act like an Auror. Most of you will fail, the others may pass the test and go on to actually do something with their lives. We’ll see.”  He stopped in front of Percival and turned to stare at him. “You’re that Graves boy, aren’t ya?” 

 

“Yes, sir.” He nodded.

 

“My great-great-great granddaddy worked with yours. You best not disappoint them.” The old man warned. Graves responded with a tight lipped smile.

 

“I don’t intend to, sir.” 

 

From then on Graves had even less free time than before. It wasn’t uncommon to see him in the Archives late into the night, studying both defensive spells and wizarding law alike. The day their first sparring match occurred Auror Pines was in a particularly sour mood. “You better not hurt each other, now.” The haggard old wizard growled as he paced around their dueling circles. “I’m not filling out no damn paperwork.”

 

As luck would have it, Percival was paired up with Joseph. He didn’t like the way the other wizard smiled wolfishly at him.  _ He can’t hurt you,  _ he reminded himself.  _ You won’t let him hurt you.  _ The two men stepped forward and bowed. Or rather Graves bowed; Joseph merely nodded his head in his opponent’s direction. 

 

“Remember, you’re only aiming to knock your opponent off their feet. Anything else and your ass will be sent packing quicker than you can blink.” The old man growled. “On my mark, now. One… two… three!”

 

Percival was able to cast a protective charm just as Joseph sent a jinx of some sort at him. It bounced of his shield harmlessly before fading into the ceiling. Keeping the protective layer active with his wand, Graves swung his hand towards the other wizard’s direction and a red spark zoomed towards him. His forcefield flickered. He hadn’t quite mastered casting multiple spells at the same time yet. Joseph cast a protective spell of his own as a counter, glaring at Percival the entire time. 

 

“ _ Expelliarmus!”  _ The older boy shouted. He cast it so forcefully that it blew threw Percival’s weakened shield and his wand flew out of his hand. Joseph raised his wand, a devilish smirk plastered on his face, and Percival froze. Without thinking he cast a summoning charm and the other wizard’s wand flew into his hand. Joseph looked furious, but not concerned. Percival realized why when he tried to jinx the other boy and received a face full of red sparks instead, causing him to fall to the floor.

 

“Horned serpent core, boy.” Auror Pines growled at Graves. Joseph was smirking from the other end of the circle. “Wands with that in them will never cast a spell for  _ anybody _ but their owner. You had him beat. Just don’t make stupid mistakes next time.” With that he hobbled away on his cane to criticize the other groups.

 

Through the course of the day Percival beat every other trainee in dueling (although Goldstein nearly gave him a run for his money). Still, he was bothered by his defeat from earlier. Everytime he sent a wizard to the ground, all he could think about was Joseph’s smug smirk as he watched Graves fall.  _ What a stupid mistake.  _ He scolded himself.  _ You don’t even need a wand to cast magic. Why would you take his?”  _

 

He was disappointed when Pines revealed that they were finished with dueling. “You all look like you have the basics. I’d keep up with dueling on your own, though.” The old wizard grumbled. “You’re gonna have to duel an actual Auror for your practical final.” 

 

That night Graves couldn’t sleep. His failure from earlier kept nagging at him, and his brain just wouldn’t relax. Dragging himself into the small office in his apartment, he started reading through his father’s old books about dueling.

 

_ I won’t be humiliated again,  _ the boy thought bitterly.  


	6. The Boy I Used to Be

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something awful happens, and Percival needs somebody to help him back down to Earth.

“Auror Graves!” 

 

A loud voice interrupted Percival’s reading, and he looked up to see his new boss, Maverick O’Leary, looming over his desk. Percival had been an Auror a little over a month now, having passed his exams over the summer, and at merely 18 years old became the youngest Auror the Congress had seen. Except for his partner Goldstein, of course.

 

“Yes, sir?” Graves sat up. His neck and shoulder were sore, and a glance at his watch revealed that he had been reading for nearly three hours now. 

 

“An owl came in the mail for you. It’s, uh… I think you’ll want to read this.” The large man carefully placed a piece of rolled parchment on the desk in front of Graves. There was something odd about his tone; if Percival didn’t know better he’d say the other man sounded almost sympathetic. He cracked the wax seal on the letter and unfurled it, eyes quickly scanning over the page. His face hardened as he neared the end.

 

“When did you receive news of this?” He asked coldly.

 

“Just now.” O’Leary replied quietly. “Take a couple of days off, Graves.” He suggested. “You have a lot on your plate now.” 

 

Graves only curtly nodded, and O’Leary took that as his cue to leave. Neither man was really one for pleasantries.

 

When Tina arrived at work the next day, she was shocked to find her partner absent. He was  _ always  _ at work before her, nose buried in his files and books or practicing some new charm. In all of her years of knowing him she’d never even seen the man cough, nevermind take a sick day. Although odd, she shrugged it off, sure that he would be back tomorrow.

 

He wasn’t.

 

Graves didn’t return to the office until the following Monday. Tina could tell something was wrong; he didn’t say good morning when she placed a coffee in front of him and didn’t even touch the drink. He didn’t do anything, really, except for work all day. When that annoying blonde girl from the Archives came by to flirt with him as usual, he didn’t even look up at her. This caused her to storm off, pouting and shooting him a dirty look.

 

Goldstein had enough of his silence by the time lunch rolled around. It was clear that Graves wasn’t going to stop working for something as silly as food, so when Tina came back from the deli she held two sandwiches instead of one. She dragged a chair over to Percival’s desk and sat down in front of him, nudging the sandwich towards him. He still didn’t look up.

 

“Graves.” Tina waved a hand in front of his face. This action seemed to surprise him, and he jumped in his chair. “I got you a sandwich. You haven’t eaten all day.” 

 

He nodded at her and muttered something that may have been a thank you before returning to the paper he was writing.

 

_ “Percival.”  _ Goldstein’s voice was louder now. He looked up at her again and sighed. She absentmindedly noticed a single strand of grey hair growing from his temple. “What’s gotten into you?” She asked. He looked away and unwrapped the sandwich, taking a bite and chewing without actually tasting anything.

 

“So help me God, Percival Graves, don’t make me use an Imperius on you.” Goldstein warned. “What could possibly put you in such a lousy mood?”

 

Percival looked up again, and she saw a glimpse of anger flash through his eyes. Before she knew what was happening her chair had already scooted back across the room behind her desk. With an angry wave of his hand her partner conjured curtains all around his desk. “Thank you for the sandwich, Goldstein.” His voice was monotone and devoid of absolutely any emotion. The curtains shut and he was hidden from her view before she could say anything else.

 

_ Ok. We’ll play it that way. _ Tina thought.

 

Graves mood stayed like this for weeks. Everyday she would bring along an extra sandwich for lunch for him, and every day he would only spit out a quiet “Thank you” before returning to whatever it was he had been doing. Finally after a couple of days he was no longer silent; instead he was incredibly moody, and his temper was all over the place. Once Tina witnessed him get so frustrated that he slammed his fist on the desk and caused all of the books to fall off of the shelves behind them. He hurriedly put them back before storming out of the room with a scowl on his face. Tina was speechless. She never,  _ ever _ seen Graves lose control over his magic like that before. 

 

Evidently Tina wasn’t the only one who noticed Percival’s change in attitude. She returned to their office one day not to find Graves in his desk, but one of his contacts from the Major Investigation Department. 

 

“Good morning, Seraphina.” Goldstein was polite but curt. She didn’t like Picquery. It was something about the way she looked at things, like was willing to tear it from the inside and destroy it just to figure out what made it tick. She saw the same look in Percival’s eyes sometimes when they were working on a case, and in all honesty it concerned her.

 

“Graves cannot continue going about like this. It’s been nearly two months.” Seraphina replied. 

 

“‘Good morning to you too, Goldstein. How was your day? Any luck on that wand fraud case I know you’ve been working so hard on?’” 

 

Seraphina glared at her, dark eyes cutting into hers like steel. “I have no concern for your pleasantries, Goldstein.” She replied coldly. “Do you know how many complaints we have received about Graves? He lashes out at everyone who tries to speak to him. Somebody almost challenged him to a duel the other day because he wouldn’t give them access to the jail cells. If he doesn’t get his act straight soon, it could seriously hurt his future career and that’s just what O’Leary wants.”

 

Goldstein shrugged. “I don’t know what you want me to do about it. You know how… stubborn he can be.”

 

“You’re the only one he talks to in a somewhat civilized manner. Remind him exactly what’s at stake here.”

 

Goldstein hated how the Picquery woman acted like she could command her. She wasn’t her boss. Auror and Major Investigators were nearly equally in rank. “I don’t even know what’s  _ wrong  _ with him!” 

 

The hard look in Picquery’s eyes softened. “You don’t know?” She asked gently. Goldstein shook her head. “His mother died two months ago. She was all he had left.”

 

Goldstein gasped and leaned against her desk. “I didn’t know… oh my God, they way I’ve been talking to him… he must hate me.” 

 

“He doesn’t hate you, and that’s the point. Graves is the most promising Auror MACUSA has seen in a long time. We can’t afford to lose him.” Seraphina stood up gracefully, robes falling just barely to the floor. “Just talk to him… please.” She exited the room without waiting for a reply from Goldstein.

 

Goldstein didn’t know what to do. That afternoon she came back to their office, sandwiches in her hand like always. Instead of sitting back at her own desk she kept standing in front of Graves after handing him the sandwich.

 

“Thank you, Goldstein.” He grumbled, not looking up. She didn’t budge.

 

“How’re you holding up?” She asked softly. He concentrated on his writing. “Graves.” She said more forcefully.

 

He sighed. “I’m fine, Goldstein. Can you please just let me back to my work?”

 

“That’s exactly what we need to talk about. I’ve heard some of the higher ups talking. They’re say you’re a promising young Auror, but your attitude as of late has been less than stellar.”

 

“I don’t care what they think about my attitude.” He grumbled.

 

“Well you should.” Goldstein snapped. “Graves, if you don’t cut this out than it could seriously affect your future.”

 

Graves face went pale. “They’re that upset with me?” 

 

“Yes. I know what you’re going through, Percival. I know you’re grieving. But this isn’t worth putting your whole life on hold; not now.” She said softly.

 

He looked down. “Maybe you’re right.” They sat in an easy silence for a minute.

 

Goldstein debating whether or not to speak. “You know, if you ever need anybody to talk to…” 

 

The hard look was back in his eyes. “I told you I was fine, Goldstein.” He snapped.

 

She knew it wasn’t a good idea to ask him. However, her talk seemed to work. It didn’t happen overnight, but the Graves she knew starting slowly but surely coming back. He said thank you when she brought in a coffee or a sandwich, he starting talking to everybody around the office, and he even humored the blonde witch from the Archives just like before. He had seemingly made a recovery. Goldstein knew better. He was different now. All of  his conversations were about work now, nothing else. If he had been hesitant in sharing his personal life before, now he was absolutely defiant. His eyes were always glancing around, looking either accusing or defensive, and the same hardness she saw on the day they spoke never left them. He walked stiffly, like he was always ready to strike out at somebody. Even his haircut was stern; the sides and back of his head were shaved and his hair was brushed back. He looked much older than the 18 year old boy he really was. Everything went on like this for the better part of a year, and Goldstein almost lost all hope in ever seeing the boy she knew ever again. 

 

It was the day before one of her reports was due, and she had been working nonstop all morning. Tina was so distracted she didn’t even notice Graves leaving the room, nor did she notice him enter. She was completely absorbed in her work until a sandwich wrapped in brown paper was placed in front of her.

 

“You haven’t eaten all day, and you didn’t look like you were planning on stopping soon.” Graves explained. He was standing in front of her desk, rubbing the back of his neck. “I tried to get what you always order, but they were out of sourdough so I just got you rye instead.” He awkwardly lowered himself into a chair by her desk.

 

“That’s absolutely fine.” She chuckled. “Thank you, Percival.”

 

They started talking, and the topics moved from work, to what the both wanted (“I won't rest until I’m sitting in that bastard’s chair, Tina.”), and eventually Tina made some stupid joke about O’Leary living at a zoo that made Percival laugh.  _ Laugh.  _ She’d seen the man smile enough, but looking back couldn’t find a single image of him laughing.

  
His laughter reminded her of a thin boy with a forest green tie and fireflies dancing in his hair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My poor smol son. I just want to give him a hug :(


	7. Keep Your Friends Close

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some say there is nothing more dangerous than a Wampus with nothing to fight for.

 

Five years after becoming an Auror, Graves is allowed to lead his first major mission. It’s a huge honor, and one that’s never before been bestowed onto somebody so young. To his relief, everything about the mission went perfectly. There was a standoff against a local wizarding gang, which his team won with no casualties on either side. The gang members were subdued, and brought in for questioning before the trials commenced. It was only him and a couple of his younger team members left at the scene when everything went wrong.

 

Graves didn’t know the gang had a no-maj member. There was no way he could’ve guessed the no-maj would go up to the youngest member in his group - only 19 years old, only a training officer on his last tag-along before the big test. It was impossible for him to stop the no-maj any sooner, too late to keep the bullet from entering the kid’s skull from behind. There was absolutely nothing he, or anybody else for that matter, could’ve done.

 

He blamed himself anyway.

 

His memory of the events was hazy, but later the other officers told him that they had to pull him off of the no-maj. The force of Graves’ disarming spell sent the man forcefully into a wall ten feet behind him. They didn’t bring the no-maj in. They reported the incident to the police and turned him in, instead.

 

“We can’t just let him get away.”

 

“We don’t have a choice, boy.” O’Leary spat. The more experienced Auror’s age was beginning to take it’s toll. His hair, which had already been sparse when Percival first saw him, was now reduced to a few wisps of silvery white strands. Whenever he stood up he had to carry his immense white on a large oak cane. His time at MACUSA was coming to a close, and both men knew it. “He’s a no-maj. We can’t interfere.”

 

“He killed Beckett!” Graves shouted, slamming his fist on the table. The books behind O’Leary shook.

 

“I know what he’s done, Graves!” The old man shouted back. “Don’t think for a second I don’t want him punished just as much as you do. Our hands are tied. Leave this for the police.”

 

“There’s practically nothing the police can do. We left them with no evidence, no case, not even a body. We can’t let him get away with this.” Graves shook his head.

 

“You will if you want to keep your job, Graves.” O’Leary warned. “You know the rules. We cannot interact with the no-majs. Stay out of this. Grieve. Move on.”

 

Graves glared at O’Leary, and for the first time the old man looked away from his icy gaze. “Yes, sir.” He replied cooly. O’Leary didn’t bother stopping him from leaving the room. The Director may have been willing to sit on his ass and do nothing, but Percival wasn’t. That murderer was _not_ going to get away with this.

 

~~~

 

The bar the two men met at was a dingy, crowded no-maj establishment. Nobody gave the two strange men in the corner a second thought in the midst of all the drunken chaos. Which, of course, was the whole point in meeting here.

 

“It was smart of you to come to me.” The older wizard said. He had silvery blonde hair and cold, calculating gray eyes. His whole persona just screamed _power._

 

“I only came to listen. I haven’t agreed to anything yet.” Graves reminded him. The blonde wizard only shook his head and chuckled.

 

“I was like you once. So young. So naive.” The blonde wizard took a sip of his drink. “Ah, but that’s why you’re here, isn’t it? How interesting; you Aurors are usually so uptight about the law.”

 

“Not when the law doesn’t get the job done.” Graves muttered. He cleared his throat. “One of our own was killed by a no-maj and nobody’s going to do anything about it. Interaction with non magical persons is strictly prohibited.”

 

“That must come to an end.” The other wizard nodded. “This is what happens when we live in the shadows. This is what happens when we are afraid.” He leaned in closer towards the younger wizard. “Tell me, Percival.” He whispered. Gray eyes bore into brown ones. “Are you afraid?”

 

“No.” He answered without hesitation. The blonde wizard smiled.

 

“Then I do believe we can help each other.”

 

~~~

 

“I left you a sandwich on your desk.” Goldstein greeted him when he returned to the office.

 

“Oh. Thank you.” He responded.

 

“How come you weren’t here at lunch?”

 

Graves shrugged. “I had some things I had to take care of.” He replied quietly. Goldstein nodded in understanding.

 

“There was nothing you could’ve done, Graves. You understand that, right?” She asked softly. Her eyes were full of pity. He didn't  _want_ her pity. 

 

“Please stop talking, Goldstein.” He spat through clenched teeth.

 

“It wasn’t your fault.” She insisted.

 

“Great to know, Goldstein, now please leave me alone.” His voice sounded stressed.

 

Goldstein walked over to his hunched form. “Percival, I know you blame yourself for Beckett but there was nothing you could do and it was _not_ your fault. I just don’t want to see you-” She tenderly touched his arm.

 

“Tina, I said _shut up._ ” He snapped, instinctively flinching away from her touch. She jumped back, surprised  by his outburst, and in seconds her face was cold and emotionless.

 

“Fine.” She replied. She walked out of the room and slammed the door. He didn’t stop her.

 

For the first time in his life, Percival began to wonder just what the hell he was doing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okokok i know i made Percival do a bad thing plEASE don't hate me.


	8. Fan This Spark Into a Flame

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tina comes to a realization.

Tina could tell there was something wrong with Percival. Sure, he was without a doubt a serious and shrewd man, but he had just been appointed Head of the Auror office. He was a step closer to his goal of overthrowing O’Leary, and it was something he should’ve been ecstatic over. Being the youngest wizard to do so (at only 26 years old) only added to his joy. Instead Percival merely shrugged and thanked the President when he was presented with the honor. They hadn’t spoken much in recent years; not like they had before. Percival Graves didn't feel like her friend anymore. He was her boss.

 

As such, she wasn’t terribly pleased when she was assigned on an assignment with only him. Suspicious activity had been reported in a no-maj neighborhood on the outskirts of the city, and while it was probably nothing it could still be something, so off they both went.

 

“This is ridiculous.” She muttered, teeth chattering from the cold. She glanced over at Percival, who didn’t seem bothered by the cold at all. “I don’t understand why we can’t warm ourselves up.”

 

“You know the rules, Goldstein.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. She noticed faint stress lines beginning to line his forehead, and more silvery hairs had started to appear at the sides of his head. He was letting it grow longer again. “No magic use while on lookout unless it’s an emergency.”

 

“I’d say freezing to death is an emergency.” She pouted. They were holed up on the roof of an abandoned steel factory, and it had to be nearly midnight. After that a new shift would pick up for them and they could return home. Still, it was a long while to wait when you were freezing your butt off.

 

Percival rubbed his temple and muttered something she couldn’t quite pick up. He surprised her (and probably himself), then, by unravelling the thick wool scarf around his neck and wrapping it around hers. Tina didn’t know how to respond by his sudden act of kindness. “Thank you.” She finally managed to spit out.. He returned it with a thin smile of his own as she nestled into the large scarf. The gray fabric smelled like pine and and freshly fallen snow and smoke.

 

They sat in silence for a couple of moments, and Tina passed the time by watching the snow settle into Percival’s dark hair. He stood up abruptly with a soft grunt, and the snow was shaken onto his shoulders instead. He stared down at Tina.

 

“I’m gonna go on one last patrol around the building before the next shift arrives. You wanna come?” He asked. She could practically hear the exhaustion lining his voice.

 

“No, I’m all set.” She yawned. “I’ll make sure nothing happens up here.” Graves nodded curtly, and quickly disappeared in the inky blackness surrounded them. She sat there in silence as the minutes passed, and couldn’t help but wonder where her partner had gone. The building was big, but there weren’t many places to hide out in. Patrolling usually only took about ten minutes, and Percival had to have been gone for twice that amount of time. She stood slowly, getting ready to venture out and look for him when the no-maj lantern lighting their area blew out.

 

Tina’s blood ran impossibly colder. She had set an enchantment on that flame; there was no way a normal wind could’ve blown it out. Her wand was out of her pocket and raised in the air within seconds. With the lantern snuffed, the area was absolutely pitch black. The moon that had been perfectly visible minutes before no longer shed it’s soft light. Icy breath puffed out of her in frozen tendrils, and the frozen snow began to stick to her cheeks and nose. It was so _cold._ How was it possible for it to be this cold? Where was Percival?

 

Her question was answered by a soft whispery sound. It sounded like hundreds of leaves being blown around by a gentle wind, except it was December in New York and there were no leaves on the ground, only soft blankets of freshly fallen snow. She turned cautiously towards the direction the song came from.

 

“Graves? Is that you?” She called out, grateful her voice sounded commanding and not nervous. There was no reply. “Show yourself!” She called out, more forcefully this time. Swearing under her breath at the lack of light, she cast a quick _lumos_ charm. Looking up, she only just managed to keep the gasp in her throat under control.

 

The dementor absorbed seemingly absorbed any light her charm cast. It was tall, at least eight feet in height, and every inch of it’s smoky form was clothed with tattered black cloth. It opened it’s mouth; the world became colder and she grew increasingly panicked.

 

“Expecto patronum!” She called out. _Our parents are alive still. We’re in a house with a bright red door and big back yard. Dad is pushing me and Queenie on the swings, and Mom is planting flowers that smell like spring in the garden._ The dementor looked like it was laughing, mocking her as the spell only managed to produce thin silver wisps. She had never quite mastered the Patronus (she didn’t even know what form her patronus took), but now was not the time to worry about that.

 

“Expecto patronum.” She shouted again, less forceful than last time. _I got accepted into the Congress. I’ll be able to provide for me and Queenie and we could finally live on our own._ This time it produced even less light, and the dementor loomed ever closer. It was three feet away, then two, and finally there was nearly no space in between them and she was looking up into it’s featureless face.

 

Visions she had been repressing for years returned as the dementor ducked down towards her at an agonizingly slow pace. It wanted to savor her sorrow. “Exp… Expecto Patronum.” She spat out. This time her wand produced nothing, and her head was filled with the ghosts of her past.

 

_The doctors struggled to restrain the two young girls. They kept trying to escape back into the room with the closed door, the room where Mom and Dad were, the room that smelled like death. The blonde one stopped fighting and collapsed onto the floor in tears, and the older sister sat down next to her. No tears came from her eyes as she tore her into an embrace._

 

_Both girls were older. The brown-haired one was on board a train, being held back by a man with dark robes and mean eyes. The small blonde one was crying, reaching out a hand to try and go to school with her sister as a similar man kept her back as well. “No no no, you don’t understand, you can’t take her away!” She screeched._

 

_Now the sisters were teenagers sitting in the headmaster’s office. The blonde one looked scared, the brunette furious. “You can’t kick her out over something she can’t control!” The older sister yelled. The headmaster merely shrugged. “It is out of my hand...her ability places other students at risk.” The girls held hands, sure it would be the last time they’d get to see each other, not wanting to let go._

 

Tina was on her knees at this point, repeating the patronus chant over and over again with no results. The dementor was inches from her face and she could see it’s grotesque, lamprey-like mouth. She wrapped the scarf tighter around herself in a half-hearted attempt to protect herself, immersed in the smell of winter and smoke. “Expecto Patronum.” She choked out. “Expecto Patronum, Expecto Patronum-”

 

Brilliant silver light blinded her and she was forced to close her eyes. When she opened them again the dementor made a strange gurgling sound and floated backwards at a speed she didn’t think it was capable of. A large glowing form had leaped over her head and now stood between her and the dementor. It’s low body was lively and glowing, silvery light illuminating everything in the area. The ethereal mountain lion growled at the dementor and snapped forward, swiping with its large paws. The dementor made the same strangled sound again. This time the mountain lion leapt onto it’s shadowy form, snarling as it clawed at the dementor. The dark figure quickly disappeared in a cloud of shadowy smoke.

 

The silver cougar turned towards her. Under normal circumstances Tina would’ve been terrified, but she found herself comforted by the patronus’ presence. It walked past her, glowing form brushing against her arm just slightly, and padded somewhere behind her. She stood up, still incredibly shaky from the encounter, and turned to where the mountain lion had gone.

 

Graves stood a couple of feet away, seemingly calm as the mountain lion sat on it’s haunches by it’s side. He looked down at it and stroked it head softly; the animal made a satisfied purring sound before fading away. Then he looked up at Tina and closed the distance between them. “Are you okay?” He held her arm to steady her.

 

Tina didn’t know how to respond, so she just laughed. Concern was etched on Graves’ face, but he didn’t know what to do so they just stood there.

 

“Hey, sorry for being late. Got held up at the office. Anything happen for you guys?” Two older Aurors interrupted the silence and Graves sighed in relief, stepping away slightly from Goldstein.

 

“No, unless you count nearly freezing to death.” He replied dryly. The two other wizards laughed. “We’ll leave you to it, then.”

 

Graves and Tina walked down the flight of stairs located on the roof, descending into the main part of the factory and out of sight of the other wizards.

 

“Are you alright?” Percival asked again.

 

“Nothing I won’t be able to handle.”  Tina insisted, leaning against a whole for support.

 

“Is your sister home? You shouldn’t be alone after that.”

 

Tina swore under her breath at the realization and sighed. “No, she isn’t. I forgot she was going out with friend tonight.”

 

Graves nodded in response. He gently grabbed Tina’s arm, large hand wrapping around her wrist. “Hold on.” He advised. Before Tina could protest they were already apparating, squeezing through space and time to whatever destination Graves decided on. Said location turned out to be a decent sized apartment. The walls were a soft off-white color, and although it wasn’t decorated it was generously furnished. Several chairs and one of those couches you would feel uncomfortable sitting on huddled around a fireplace, which Graves brought to light with a snap of his fingers. He gingerly sat Tina down on one of the chairs and went rummaging through the kitchen drawers.

 

“Is this your apartment?”

 

Graves nodded. “I was forced to buy it when the Ministry stopped letting me sleep in the office overnight.” He joked. Tina found herself about to laugh despite how awful she felt. She was too tired to even think about the fact that she was in the private home of her superior. A very handsome superior that just saved her life. Graves finally returned to the living room and handed her a long, thin box. She raised an eyebrow at him.

 

“A chocolate wand?”

 

Percival looked guilty. “I have quite the sweet tooth, I’m afraid.” He admitted. Tina laughed as she opened the box and bit off a piece of chocolate. Warmth immediately flooded through her.

 

“You know,” Tina asked in between bites of chocolate, “I’ve always wondered what your patronus was.” Now that she knew, Tina struggled to refrain from asking the unfeeling Percival Graves exactly what happy memory made his patronus so powerful. But she knew better by now than to ask him personal questions like that. It would only make him upset, and she wanted this moment to stay as relaxed as it was right now.

 

“I learned how to produce one when I was thirteen.” He shrugged. It wasn’t bragging, merely just a statement. “My mother always said it should’ve been a bookworm.”

 

Tina laughed. “No, I think a mountain lion suits you just fine. You’re both rather...stoic.”

 

Percival snorted. “What about you? What’s your patronus?” He sat down on the couch next to  Goldstein’s chair, stretching out his long legs. It was the most relaxed she’d ever seen him.

 

Tina sat back. “I don’t know.” She admitted. “I can’t produce a patronus.” She admitted softly.

 

“Anybody can produce a patronus.” Percival insisted.

 

“Not me.” 

 

“You’re just not thinking of the right memory.”

 

Tina thought about that for a moment. Maybe Graves was right. Maybe she’d been focusing on the wrong things. Maybe happiness wasn’t where she thought it was. They sat together for a moment, not speaking a word.

 

“I’m going to go out on the balcony for a minute.” Graves sat up, tall form rising in front of her. “Finish that up and come find me when you’re done, I’ll get you settled into bed. You’ll need some sleep.”

 

So there Tina was, eating chocolate alone in her boss’ apartment, wrapped in his too-big scarf and warming her hands by the fire. Queenie was going to tease her for _days_ over this. Finally the chocolate was finished, and she stepped outside to get Percival. He was leaning over the edge of the balcony, hunched down so he could rest his elbows over the railing. A thin cigarette was nestled in between two long fingers, and he blew a thick tendril of smoke.

 

“I didn’t know you smoked.” Tina stood next to him. Percival didn’t seem spooked by her sudden intrusion.

 

“I picked the habit up a while ago.” He admitted. They stood together like that until Tina started shivering from the cold. He glanced at her and tossed the cigarette into the air; before it hit the ground it disappeared with a small _pop._ “You should get some sleep. It’s late.”

 

So that was how Tina ended up in her boss’ bed at one in the morning. Oh, Queenie was _never_ going to let her forget about this. It didn’t matter that Graves was in a complete other room sleeping on the couch. She could hear her sister already. _“Oh, Teen! You’ve liked this boy for ages!”_

 

Exhaustion overcame Tina and she snuggled deeply into the blankets, choosing to ignore the future conversation with her sister in favor for sleep. They smelled like Graves ( _stop thinking about how good he smells, Tina)_ and she fell asleep to the scent of winter and smoke.

 

~~~

 

Graves was gone when she woke up that morning. He left a note, scrawled in the same messy handwriting he’d had as a boy. _Got a call from work, had to head in early._ Tina shook her head and laughed. Of course Graves would leave her for work.

 

When she apparated back to the apartment Queenie was still fast asleep on her bed and Tina had two hours to spare before she had to be at work. As she got ready (both for work and for her conversation with her sister) the things Graves had said from the night before nagged at the back of her mind.

 

_“Anybody can produce a patronus.”_

 

Tina honestly wasn’t sure why that bothered her so much. She was a powerful, well-established witch whether or not she could produce a patronus, so why was it so nagging? _I’ll give it a shot_. She decided. _Not because of what Graves said, but because I need to defend myself._ The latter thought was a lie, of course, because she found that she did care what Graves said and that made her furious.

 

“Okay.” She whispered to herself out loud. “Patronus...happy charm, happy memory...I can do this.”

 

Half an hour had passed and Tina had still fail to produce a corporeal patronus. It was always just wisps of light from her wand, and once a memory about her parents caused a mysterious shape to appear but it was gone before Tina could try and guess what it was. She didn’t understand why she couldn’t produce one. She had gone over every single happy memory, with every person she had ever held fondly. Her parents, her friends, Queenie, Perci-

 

“Oh no.” Tina groaned. There was _no way_ Percival Graves would be her happiest memory. It seemed like every time she had made up her mind about the man something else happened that reminded her of all the reasons her was worth fighting for. It wasn't _fair._  “It’s worth a try.” She muttered bitterly. Once she began to think of the memories they practically flooded her mind, playing over and over again like a movie as she watched herself and a boy grow up together.

 

_She slapped the small boy so hard it made his lip bleed - no, not the small boy, the tall boy with lanky shoulders that wore a green tie around his neck and danced with fireflies  - except he wasn’t a boy anymore, but a man that smelled like winter and smoke with snow and gray in his hair, a man that gave her his scarf and kept her warm and saved her life -_

 

“Expecto Patronum.” Tina whispered. She could feel a strange warmth building up in her chest travel down her arm and through the wand. When she opened her eyes the room was bathed in a soft silver light - not blinding like Percival’s had been, but warm and comforting - and saw a large white swan hovering just above the ground. It opened it’s mouthed a called out the most hauntingly beautiful sound Tina had ever heard in her life. A gasp came from the doorway behind, and her sister stood with a look of understanding on her face.

 

“Oh, Teen.” Queenie smiled brilliantly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think things will be getting better for poor Tina and Percival...for now. We deserve a couple of chapters of happiness to prepare for what I have planned.


	9. We Rise and We Fall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Percival begins to see a light at the far end of the tunnel

 

The year was 1920. Every four years the Congress holds elections for office. Maverick O’Leary was retiring. Graves would finally complete the promise he made to himself years ago.  _ I should be excited,  _ he thought. Instead he felt sick to his stomach.

 

“I trust you’re running for the Director of Magical Security position.” 

 

Graves was at the bar he frequented far too often with the man he was beginning to question. It had been nearly six years since he met the blonde wizard, and no actions were taken upon the honeyed words he spoke. “Soon, my friend” and “Have patience, our time will come” were words he heard far too much. Graves mentioned none of this to the blonde wizard in front of him. He hadn’t forgotten the power radiating from the man, or the hungry look he often saw in his eyes. Doubt could cause death in the situation he was in.

 

“I was considering it.” Was all Graves responded before taking a sip of his drink.

 

The other man looked disappointed. “That wasn’t the answer I was expecting. You have always wanted to be Director. You’ve wanted the power, the influence. Is that not why you joined me? Is that not why you remain loyal to the cause?” He spat.

 

_ No,  _ Percival wanted to say.  _ I wanted to change the world on my own. I never wanted to become a puppet.  _ “Yes.” He replied softly.

 

“Then I urge you to reconsider.” 

 

Graves took a deep gulp from his drink. “I’ll think about it.”

 

The other man smiled wolfishly at him. “That’s a good boy.”

 

~~~

 

When Graves arrived back at his office there was a small note written in neat handwriting placed on his desk. “ _ Meet me in the back of the Archives. _ ” it read. Percival smirked to himself, recognizing the irritatingly neat handwriting immediately. He was down in the Archives within minutes.

 

“Well, look who finally decided to show up for work.” Tina smiled.

 

Graves smiled back. “I had some things to take care of.” He lied. 

 

Tina rolled her eyes. “What could be more important than me?” She teased. Percival laughed. 

“Oh, I dunno… the Investigators have a lead on that European wizard, I’m severely understaffed, this election is going to determine what happens to the Statute of Secrecy…” He began with a slight smile on his face.

 

Tina pouted and hit his hand. Percival smiled back innocently. “Have you thought about the election at all?” She asked. She no longer felt anxious asking him about his thoughts and feelings. Their relationship had gotten closer since the night she stayed at his apartment, and Tina cursed Percival everyday for not have the sense to admit that he felt the same way about her as she did him.

 

Percival leaned back. “I’ve given it a thought.”

 

“You’ve wanted to be the Director of Magical Security since we were training, Percy.” She reminded him. “I don’t understand why you’re being so hesitant. You’ll get the vote.”

 

He shrugged. “I know that. I just...dont know if right now is the best time.”

 

Tina frowned. “Why not? O’Leary’s retiring and nobody else is running because they think you’re going to.”

 

Percival hated this. He hated how he had to lie to the one person he was beginning to truly care about. “I’m not sure if I’m ready yet.” Tina was trained. Could she see how his pupil’s expanded when he said that? How he looked off to the side instead of directly into her eyes the moment the words left his lips? Surely she was about to call his bluff and demand to know the truth?

 

The answer was no. “Percival, don’t be ridiculous.” She scolded. “If you’re not qualified to be Director than  _ nobody  _ is, that’s for damn sure.”

 

“Maybe I don’t want it.” He lied again.  _ That’s not true,  _ he thought.  _ I want it more than anything. That’s why I’m afraid.  _

 

Tina saw through the lie this time. “Percival, you’ve wanted this your whole life.” She whispered softly. “You are too talented to just sit behind the desk in our office all day and hope a case comes our way.” She stood up and walked over to his chair, hand skimming his shoulder. “You are capable of so much more.” Her lips brushed across his cheek before she turned and walked away.

 

Looking back, Percival would agree that that is the exact moment he made up his mind. He was going to be the Director of Magical Security. Not for him.

 

For her.

 

~~~

 

“I read in the paper that you made up your mind. I’m sure I don’t have to stress to you just how very important winning this election is.”

 

Graves took a deep drink from the amber colored liquid in front of him. “No, you don’t.” He knew all too well exactly what was at stake.

 

The blonde wizard smiled. “I’m glad we are on the same page. How is the election cycle going, my dear friend?” 

 

Graves shrugged, not looking up from his glass. “There’s nobody else who can even compete with me for Director of Magical Security. The Head Auror always wins that vote. The Presidency is a bit more…complicated.”

 

The older wizard raised an eyebrow. “How so?”

 

Graves took another sip. “It’s close. Right now they’re favoring Picquery to win, but lots of people are backing Nelson as well. He’s from the International Affairs department.”

 

“And who do you want to win?”

 

Graves looked up. “I’m friends with Picquery. Nelson is a smart man, but he’s known to put his interests before others. Picquery’s more sociable. She’s young, talented. That can be of use.”  _ And she would never, ever give into you like I have,  _ he thought bitterly. 

 

“She does sound like an excellent choice. What are her opinions on the muggles?”

 

“Same as everybody’s.” Graves scowled. “Keep everybody safe and quiet and they won’t care that they’re being locked up like dogs.”

 

“Change will come soon, my friend. We just have to be patient. We’ll show them all who is really to be feared.” The blonde wizard smiled. Whenever Graves saw the other man smiling he felt sick to his stomach. There was nothing kind about his smile, and the very sight of it was enough to make him reconsider just exactly he was doing associating with such a man.

 

They sat in silence for a moment. “You know, I don’t  _ have  _ to be the Director-” Graves began.

 

“We’ve been over this, Percival.” The older man’s voice sounded impatient. “You will be so much more useful to me - to our cause, that is - if you hold a position of such power. Just think of what you’ll do. I mean, as the Director of Magical Security, maybe you could finally even seek out justice for that muggle who killed your man…”

 

Graves clenched his fist under the table.  _ You’re right. There would be nobody who could stop me. I can’t be trusted with that much power as long as I’m under your control. _ “Maybe you’re right. But still, if we-”

 

“You were born for this, Percival.” The man leaned over. “You can’t just sit behind a desk and do nothing for your entire life. Oh, no...you are capable of so much more.” Grindelwald whispered.

 

Graves froze at the familiar words. “You’re right.” He finally said, and finally he was able to put words to the feeling he felt.  _ I hate you,  _ he thought,  _ and I am going to be your downfall _ . Brown eyes bore defiantly into gray ones. “I’m capable of so much more.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry I haven't update in a couple of days and I'm sorry this is a short chapter :( I just needed a break for a little while to get readjusted to school and everything, but now I'm back! 
> 
> P.S. I changed the description so that it didn't suck as much.


	10. That Would Be Enough

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Percival comes to a realization.

It still felt strange, to Tina, having the little office in the middle of the hallway all to herself. It felt strange looking at the half-empty shelves and seeing only her books and collectibles. It felt strange having room to put more than just a desk and a chair.

 

It felt lonely walking in each morning and seeing the corner Percival used to sit in empty.

 

Elections had been over for just a week, and the other day Percival finally managed to finish clearing out his side of the room. He refused to look her in the eye while doing so. She hadn’t seen or talk to him since.

 

“Goldstein?” A familiar deep voice called from ~~their~~  her door. She looked up and saw Percival leaning against the side of the door. He somehow looked different from the last time she saw him three days ago. _Maybe it’s the new haircut,_ she thought.

 

“Yes, Graves?” She replied.

 

He rubbed the back of his neck. “I think I left one of my books in here. It isn’t in the new office and I’ve looked everywhere.”

 

She turned the chair around and began scouring through the bookshelf, trying not to think about how he said _the_ new office and not _my_ new office. “What’s it called?” She asked.

 

“It doesn’t have a title. It’s made of black leather and it’s pretty small.” Percival walked closer to her desk, and suddenly appeared very interested in the new case file sitting on top. He didn’t even look up when Tina placed the book in front of him. “You’ve been assigned to the Grindelwald case.” He stated. It wasn’t a question, but there was something off about his tone that Tina couldn’t wrap her mind around.

 

“Yes, I just got the news this morning.” She replied. “Why? Is there something wrong with that?”

 

“No, no.” Percival replied quickly. “It’s just...isn’t it a little dangerous?”

 

“Of course it’s dangerous.” Tina couldn’t _believe_ what he was saying. “Being an Auror is dangerous, Percival, I’ve known that for ten years now.”

 

“I know that.” He replied with an exasperated tone. “It’s just this case is much more dangerous than any other one we’ve got going right now. Maybe-”

 

“This is my first time being given an international case, Graves. I can’t do midnight scouting and black market busts for the rest of my life.” She snapped.

 

“Well, maybe that wouldn’t be so bad-”

 

“It’s not like you care.” She snapped again. “You were never bother by me getting assigned dangerous cases before. Just because you’re the Director now doesn’t mean I’m going to let you ruin this for me.”

 

“The problem is I _do_ care, Tina, because I care about you and this is a dangerous case. I don’t know what I would do if you got hurt.” Percival seemed surprised by the words even as they came out of his mouth. His hand rested on the table right beside hers, and before he looked downwards Tina saw a soft look in his eyes that she hadn’t seen in years.

 

Tina didn’t know how to respond. “What did you say?” She asked quietly.

 

Percival looked up. “I said I cared about you.” His voice was even softer than hers.

 

Tina smiled gently. “Well, it took you long enough to say that.” Percival gave her a small smile back, absentmindedly tracing circles on the table with his thumb.

 

Tina looked at the clock and gasped softly. “I have to go. My shift ended half an hour ago; Queenie’s got to be worried sick, I promised I would have dinner with her before she left for the night shift.” She explained. “Do you…”

 

Percival gave her a look. “Do I what?”

 

She looked embarrassed. “Do you...maybe...come over and talk?”

 

Graves rubbed the back of his neck again. “My shift doesn’t get off for another hour.” He apologized. Tina’s face fell at the words, and her cheeks flushed red.

 

“Of course, I’m sorry, it was stupid.” She gathered up her stuff and started towards the door. Percival gently grabbed her arm before she could leave.

 

“I never said no.” He smiled. “Meet me in front of this building at 7. There’s something I want to show you.”

 

_And there’s something I have to do._

 

_~~~_

 

The parchment felt heavy in Graves’ hands, and the weight never left even as he dumped it onto Landry’s desk. Landry was the Auror in charge of the Grindelwald case. Graves just gave him all the information he needed to know to drive the dark wizard out of the country, or even capture him if they were lucky.

 

Hiding locations. Popular meeting spots. Active members in the army. Places Grindelwald planned to attack when they gained enough support. All of this and more was contained in Percival’s letter; he even took the precaution of writing slowly so that his handwriting appeared far too neat to be his own hand. Nothing would be traced back to him, and Grindelwald would fall.

 

Oh God, he hoped Grindelwald would fall.

 

~~~

 

“So, where are you taking me?” Tina asked.

 

Percival smiled down at her. “If I told you that would ruin the surprise.”

 

“You know I hate surprises.”

 

“You’ll like this one.” He promised.

 

The spring air felt warm on her cheeks, even as a cool nighttime breeze swam through the air. Percival turned a corner and she suddenly realized where they were going.

 

“Central Park?” She asked. “I didn’t think you were one for crowded places.”

 

“The part we’re going isn’t crowded.” They walked along the main path for a while, cherishing the silence together. Before long Percival grabbed her hand and gently led her off the path into a thick grove of trees. There weren’t any lights in this area, and it was getting difficult to see. Tina was just about to raise her wand to cast a lumos charm but Percival stopped her. “The wand will scare them.” He explained. With a wave of his wand little white orbs floated lazily in front of them, moving ahead whenever they took a step.

 

“How did you do that?” Tina asked.

 

“A little variation of the lumos charm. Remind me to show you sometime.” They kept walking until suddenly they came upon a wall of trees that looked impenetrable. Percival turned towards her and spoke with a soft voice. “The place I’m about to show you is very special. Very few people even know it exists, and few still dare venture to it. You’ll have to be very careful in here; they’re quite delicate.”

 

Without another word Percival moved forward again, still holding onto Tina’s hand. He didn’t stop at the trees; instead they walked right through them as if they weren’t there. Tina gasped at the sight in front of her. They were in a romantically lit clearing, about the size of a basketball court, surrounded by tall green trees and filled with sleeping flowers and soft grass. A trickling stream ran through the far end, littered with colorful round stones. The sky was blocked by the leaves of the trees, but thousands of little creatures kept everything well lit.

 

“Fairy Flies.” Tina gasped in awe, looking all around at the sight in front of her. Small human-like creatures with glassy wings flew everywhere, bathing the clearing in the soft light that emitted from them. Dozens of the little creatures flew towards the pair curiously, making exciting laughing noises that sounded like hundreds of little bells ringing.

 

“What do you think?” Percival asked softly, looking down at her face with a softness she hadn’t seen before.

 

“It’s magical.” She replied with a laugh. Percival laughed softly as well, the first time she had seem him laugh in years. The Fairy Flies danced in their hair. They stood like that for what seemed like hours, completely immersed in the soft light of the clearing and the mesmerizing movements of the fairies. Finally Percival nudged her back into reality.

 

“It’s getting late.” He whispered. “We should get home.”

 

Tina nodded, staring up into his face. The light played along his features, softening his cheekbones and jawline. He would be a near carbon copy of the boy in the green tie, if it weren’t for the streaks of gray hair lining his temple. He looked like the boy she had fallen in love with.

 

Without a second thought, Tina stood on her toes and kissed him. Naturally Percival seemed hesitant (and just a little bit surprised) at first, but after a moment he relaxed and returned the kiss, wrapping his arms around Tina’s shoulders. They only stopped when Tina came up for air.

 

“Thank you, Percival.” She laughed softly in his ear, and before he could respond she was gone in a moment of black smoke, most likely apparating home. He could understand why; leaving the clearing together would have been too final. Percival smiled to himself, letting one of the fairy flies land on his hand.

  
The night had been perfect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aHAHGAaaahahah. Are Tina and Percy the cutest little patoots?
> 
> So, this is a little treat for this little story reaching ten chapters and over 2,000 kudos! I know it doesn't seem like a lot but this is my first ever public piece of writing so it actually means a bunch to me. Thank y'all so much for actually enjoying it and for giving me a reason to keep the writing going <3


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